‘Giving a drunk a lift could kill’

Giving drunk pals a lift home puts drivers at much greater risk of an accident or being pulled over by cops, warns new research.

One in 20 drivers said their drunk passenger nearly made them crash their car.

A quarter admit while being sober behind the wheel they found their friends who had one too many annoying while an eighth said just having i#them in the car increased stress levels.

Just under one in 10 drivers were distracted when they puked over the seats or into the footwell.

And they are a liability as a quarter stopped by the police on suspicion of drink driving were only pulled over because of their worse for wear passengers.

The findings of the poll of 2,000 motorists by Confused.com, shows four out of 10 will play designated driver at some point over the Christmas period, which is good news as the number of drunks tempted to get behind the wheel should drop.

Latest figures found the number of people being convicted of drink driving over the last three years fell by 6.5 per cent and it is expected the trend will continue this year with 2,500 fewer arrests.

But Christmas remains the peak for drink driving with nearly half of motorists people are more likely to drink drive at Christmas time.

Matt Lloyd, of Confused.com, said: “We’re all familiar with drink-driving and the dangers it causes at this time of year, but it would appear that there is a new danger on the road - the drunk passenger.

“Drivers might find it difficult to focus when travelling with a drunken passenger in the car with them, and with the difficult weather conditions associated with this time of year to contend with as well, it’s important for them to take note and be aware of what they may encounter.

“It is, of course, a good sign that so many people will be taking on the role of designated driver this Christmas, to make sure there are fewer drunk drivers on the roads.

“It’s also welcome news that the number of people being arrested for drink driving appears to be falling year on year.

“However, the stark reality is that some people will still get behind the wheel after having a drink this festive season, with December being the top month, according to Police figures, for drink driving arrests.

“The only safe option is not to drink if you plan to drive. Any amount of alcohol affects your ability to drive safely as your reaction times are impaired and you are unable to judge speed and distance accurately.

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